Lange Luntao

In the last few days of Black History Month, I'm coming back to the words of its originator, Carter G. Woodson, who (far ahead of his time, in 1927) wrote: "What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice." Happy Black History Month, Stockton Unified School District!

Just a moment ago, Interim Superintendent Brian Biedermann announced his formal resignation from leadership of Stockton Unified, effective 30 days from now. This is a tragic loss for our students, our families, our schools, and the stability of our district in the midst of a pandemic. In his statement, he noted that he "deeply loves this district" but that the role is "not the best fit for me, my family, and my health." Less than 9 months ago, I watched (yet again) as our pee...rs on the board harnessed underhanded tactics, constant threats, and micromanagement to push out the previous Superintendent - at a cost of nearly $400,000 to the district. I was one of a slight minority (3 of 7 board members) who voted against his forced resignation because I believed that we had to disrupt the pattern of the revolving door superintendency for our educators to get the support they deserved. Mr. Biedermann was put in a very difficult situation in the wake of that action, and I appreciated and respected how he stepped up to serve our community especially through a difficult time. I am saddened to hear that Stockton USD will be without a leader again. A school community would be outraged if their Principal changed once every year or once every two years - it would make work harder for teachers, harm trust with students, and make it more difficult to engage families. The same is true for a school system. Yet I have witnessed again and again as elected trustees like Cecilia Mendez, Maria Mendez, Scot McBrian - and, from this announcement, I must assume the other two board members who were just sworn in - break board bylaws and the Brown Act, engage in discrimination and harassment of employees, and push our staff members out of their roles. This is literally the direct opposite of what effective school board members do. Effective school board members set clear vision for a system, demonstrate rational and reasonable leadership, and work to support staff (primarily the Superintendent) in accomplishing their work. They shouldn't cause chaos, they shouldn't waste school district funds, they shouldn't make the work of educating students harder. Given all that is going on in the world, I know it's difficult to pay attention to what's happening in a school system, but I hope community members will continue to pay attention to what's happening in our backyards. Effective schools are the building blocks of a healthy community, and until we expect better from our elected officials, our schools will continue to suffer from poor leadership.

Grateful to be part of the amazing network of New American Leaders - helping to bring us closer to a "democracy with room for all of us." Follow along to their 8th annual Power & Policy conference happening now!

Spread the word....

Join Dr. Jose Cardenas for financial aid workshop number two! #SUSDRaceToComplete #StocktonStrong #Proud2bSUSD

Reflecting on the past four years on the Stockton Unified School District, it's clear how far we've come - but also that we have a long way to go. Here is a snapshot of commitments I made to our community when I was elected in 2016, and work that we've made happen together.

Not sure where to drop off your ballot in San Joaquin County? Here’s an interactive map of all of San Joaquin County’s more than two dozen official Registrar of Voters’ ballot drop off boxes with updated hours : bit.ly/SCWBallotDropOff

A resource from the amazing Brian Batugo, continuing to serve Stockton Unified School District even from San Diego! From Brian: "Seeds of Hope" must be planted in our classroom communities regardless of the outcome of this election. SDUSD's Ethnic Studies and Restorative Justice departments developed and designed a handbook that would promote our departments' critical rooting in unity, solidarity, and interconnectedness. We curated a resource that would help educators build ...safe spaces that support students' well-being, questions, and action-taking during this highly polarized social-political reality. Teacher friends, check out ways to support K-12 students this week and beyond. Please feel free to share it widely.

Tomorrow is the big day! We value and appreciate all the community support we have received. Today we highlight several organizations and elected officials who have endorsed our campaign, including the San Joaquin County Democratic Party and the AFL-CIO San Joaquin-Calaveras Central Labor Council. Please remember to vote Lange Luntao for SUSD Board Area 4!

On Nov. 3rd, Stockton Unified Area 4 voters have the opportunity to re-elect Lange Luntao to School Board. We are continuing to highlight folks - especially our... young leaders - who are supporting Lange! Lange is dedicated to doing the work necessary for students to succeed. Ajala, a Stockton Scholars ambassador, shares with us why he supports Lange. @ Stockton, California #luntaoforsusd